The Man in Black
by sparkywriter
Summary: Tim is alive and stalking his former life. His secret is safe until the woman he loves disappears.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I don't own any of the CSI: Miami or Without a Trace characters. I am simply playing with them for a little while.

Spoilers – Lost Son. Horatio and Tim had a conversation just outside the jewelry store after they'd noticed some vehicle. Horatio commented that someday Tim would need four doors. That random comment has stuck with me ever since. So, here's my "what if?"

Comments? - please leave 'em. I'd love to hear what you guys who've been doing this fanfiction thing forever think!

_**Watch…**_

He watched her as he had every day for months. She exited the Miami Dade Police Department, her dark hair cascading in waves over her shoulders, held back by the sunglasses she wore in her hair, so as not to impede her view of the steps.

She'd chosen a light khaki suit, having lost an earlier argument with herself that she no longer worked for the MDPD. She just couldn't, she'd surmised aloud, enter the building in a t-shirt and jeans. It was simply against her nature.

Under her suit jacket, she wore a turquoise print silk blouse untucked. He smiled. She'd always been a "tucker", and knew that this lapse in personal style was merely a concession to camouflage the precious package she carried.

Another man waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. A red-headed Lieutenant he knew well. He placed a small earpiece in his ear.

_**Listen…**_

"Horatio," he heard her say with a small sigh.

"Detective Diaz," the Lieutenant responded, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

She looked up at Horatio Caine, her eyes dark. They'd shared far too much pain, and she felt no "pleasure" in seeing Caine again. "Time to go," she answered plainly.

Horatio's lips curled into a knowing, tight smile. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," she laughed bitterly, as her eyes filled with tears. She gazed in his general direction, and for a moment, he was afraid she'd seen him. When she answered Horatio, her voice was barely a whisper. The bug almost didn't pick up her response. "He's everywhere I turn."

"Christina," Horatio began to argue, but stopped when she raised her hand and shook her head.

"You said to give five months, and I did," she countered.

"Where will you go?" the Lieutenant questioned. "Back to Houston?"

Christina shook her head again. "No, I called your friend Mac Taylor in New York. He hooked me up with the police chief. I'll start there after…" she motioned to her growing belly with both hands.

"We'll miss you, Christina," Horatio said as he reached to take her hand. "You'll always have family here."

"Thank you, Horatio." She squeezed his hand and stepped past him, towards her waiting taxi.

"Christina."

She turned to face the Lieutenant again. Horatio toyed with the sunglasses in his hand. "Calleigh will demand pictures," he stated with a small grin.

She smiled and slid into the backseat of the yellow cab. The driver shut the door behind her.

_**Wait…**_

He lifted the helmet he'd rested on the seat of his motorcycle as the cab drove past. He was in no hurry to follow. Instead, he waited. Waited for the Lieutenant to notice the man dressed in black across the street from the police department. Waited for the flash of recognition. Satisfied, he donned the helmet, climbed on the bike and roared away.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Quiet**_

He slid the key into the lock and turned it slowly. He'd oiled the door hinges the previous week after noticing a tiny squeak the last time he'd entered the apartment. He certainly didn't want to risk getting caught – not after all this time.

He'd never considered it a reflection on Christina's skills as a detective that she hadn't caught him sitting in his daughter's room at night – watching the gentle rise and fall of the toddler's breathing. Home is where one is most comfortable, and after more than two years, Christina Diaz was comfortable living with the ghost of Tim Speedle.

He was careful to choose nights when Christina's fiancé would not be home. Danny Taylor, he'd learned from the bugs planted throughout Christina's apartment, was a light sleeper. Luckily, the same wasn't true of Christina or their daughter Isabella. A bomb could go off and neither would even flinch.

He made his way into the apartment, which had recently become more crowded with the addition of Danny's belongings. He was in the living room, holding a new, framed snapshot of Christina, Danny and Isabella when he heard it…

"MMMOOOOMMMMMYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

There was no time, and no way, he could exit the apartment now without Christina catching him. His heart began to race as he slunk into a dark corner of the living room.

"I'm coming, baby," Christina answered, her voice heavy with interrupted sleep. Tim caught just a glimpse of her white tank top and plaid pajama pants as she stepped out of her bedroom and made her way down the short hall into Isabella's room.

"What's the matter, Bella?" Christina asked softly, comforting the sobbing eighteen month-old. "Bad dream?"

Isabella must have shook her head yes, because Christina then offered to let the baby sleep with her.

"Miwk," Isabella demanded as the two made their way back toward Christina's room.

"Okay," Christina answered with a yawn. She detoured into the living room without bothering to turn on any lights. Isabella caught a glimpse of him as her mother carried her into the kitchen.

"Daddy!" she declared brightly.

"Daddy's working," Christina corrected her. Tim felt his heart break into a million tiny pieces. He'd heard his precious daughter calling another man "Daddy" before, but this was the first time Christina had referred to Danny as Isabella's father.

"No, no, no," Isabella said with a laugh.

"Yes, yes, yes," Christina responded, setting the toddler down on the counter. She took a sippy cup from the cabinet above Bella's head; then removed the milk from the refrigerator. She filled the cup, screwed on the cap and handed it to Bella.

She lifted Bella from the counter and carried her into the bedroom Christina now shared with Danny.

"Daddy," he heard Bella whisper as they passed his hiding place. He smiled with pride.

Tim listened as mother and daughter settled in for the remainder of the night and waited until he heard Christina's gentle snoring before he moved from the shadows.

_**Longing**_

He stood in the doorway to the bedroom, watching them sleep. Christina's dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, so as not to tickle Bella's cheek as she slept contently, curled tightly against her mother's chest, her tiny thumb hanging precariously from her mouth.

Isabella Siobhan Speedle was, by far, the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. Her name was nod to Christina's Latino and Tim's part Irish heritages. Unruly ebony curls she'd inherited from her father framed her face, drawing attention to the huge chocolate eyes that, arguably, could have come from either parent. Her tiny ruby lips were identical to her mother's, but Bella's studious, curious nature was all Tim.

He wanted so much to crawl into bed with them, to feel the warmth of their skin next to his, to hold them, to tell them how much he loved them. As far as he was concerned, Christina and Bella were, and would always be - his. The fact that he didn't live with them was of little consequence. He was with them every day – whether they knew it or not.

He didn't _want_ to begrudge Christina's finding love again. Had theirs been a simple breakup or even a divorce, he might have wished her much happiness. But that wasn't the case. There was nothing simple about the way Tim was separated from Christina and the baby he hadn't know she was carrying.

_**Agony**_

He still remembers the pain, the burn, the smell of death. The details of the moment he said goodbye to his life as Tim Speedle were seared in his brain. For all intents and purposes, he died on the floor of a Miami jewelry store. Hours later, he woke in a hospital bed tucked into a backroom of an FBI safe house.

His lungs stung, his chest felt as though it had been ripped open, which in fact, it had. His limbs would not respond to his repeated requests for them to move. FBI Special Agent Sackheim was beside his bed.

"Relax, Speedle," the agent instructed. "Everything you are feeling right now is completely normal for the drugs you were given."

Speed nod in understanding. "It was textbook," the agent continued, "in case you were wondering. Dr. Woods was so distraught she didn't even notice that she didn't know the body haulers."

Had he been able to move, Tim would have decked the agent for his flip comment toward Alexx. Instead, he chose to simply ignore it.

"How are they?" His chest was so tight it took all his strength to choke out the words.

The agent regarded his charge sympathetically. "I can't tell you that, Speedle. You know the rules."

"Christina?" Speed was too proud to beg, but he had to know how she was.

Sackheim shook his head. "You're _dead_," he emphasized. "How do you think she is?"

Tim closed his eyes and swallowed hard, allowing the pain medicine a nurse had just slipped into his IV to carry him off into another world where life as he'd known it, hadn't just been blown apart.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Memories**_

Had Tim known that he was going to meet the love on his life on that September afternoon, he might have put on his nicest shirt. Hell, he might have even shaved. But, as fate would have it, he was pulled over on the side of highway, waiting for the Miami Dade Police Officer inhabiting the patrol car to make her exit, still reeking of death, courtesy of the crime scene he'd just departed.

He knew better than to move before the officer told him to, so he sat on his motorcycle, waiting patiently. It wasn't like he was going to get a ticket, he surmised, he WAS Miami-Dade police too. Poor cop, he thought with a grin, just wasting her time.

"License and registration, please," she said authoritatively.

Speed turned his head to look at her and was left speechless.

"License and registration, please," she repeated slowly.

He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Right, sorry," he answered, handing her the two pieces of information requested, along with his badge.

As she examined the documents, Speed examined the beautiful officer. Her nametag read "C. Diaz". He concluded that she wasn't a rookie, since she was riding alone. Her lustrous dark hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore small gold diamond studs in her ears. As his gaze drifted down, he realized that he'd never seen the drab khaki uniforms of the Miami Dade Police Department look _quite_ so good.

"Damn," he said under his breath.

Diaz glared angrily at him. "Excuse me?" she demanded.

His face scrunched in embarrassment, not realizing he'd made the exclamation aloud. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"You work for the crime lab?" she asked as she removed her sunglasses.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

"You realize you were speeding?"

He smiled politely. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was hoping that the wind would knock this stench off me." He pulled the front of his shirt for emphasis.

Diaz ignored his attempt to flirt with her. "As a CSI, I think you'd be smart enough to wear a helmet."

"Don't like 'em," he answered dismissively.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. She turned back to her cruiser. "Sit tight, I have to call your supervisor."

He watched the officer through his mirror, as she picked up her radio and called in to the station. Whoever she was speaking to must have said something funny, because Diaz laughed heartily. A minute later, she stepped back out of the car, pad in hand.

"Lieutenant Caine said that I am authorized to give you a speeding ticket, and that he'll discuss this with you in the morning," she explained.

"_Of_ _course_ he did," Speed answered with defeat.

She handed him the ticket and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you, CSI Speedle."

"Yep, total $150 pleasure, Officer Diaz," he said sarcastically, glancing down at the dollar amount on the ticket.

The next morning, Tim hacked into the patrol officer's schedule and found a day when Officer Diaz – Christina, he'd determined from the timesheet – was working the same area where she'd pulled him over.

A week later, he sat on his motorcycle again in the same spot, waiting for her to step out of her patrol car. Christina Diaz walked up to him, hands on hips, shook her head and said, "You've got to be kidding me."

Speed grinned up at her. "I'll give you two choices, Officer Diaz. One, you can give me another ticket; or two, you can let me take you to dinner. My insurance company would prefer that you said yes to dinner."

_**The Nightmare Begins**_

Two days after his "death", the man formerly knows as Tim Speedle sat at an interrogation table across from his handler, Special Agent Sackheim.

"You coulda fucking warned me!" Tim screamed at the agent.

"Right!" Sackheim countered, "And that would have accomplished what, exactly? You'd have wanted to bring that whole damned lab with you into Protective Custody!"

"What about Christina? When you are bringing her in?" Speed demanded angrily.

"That's not the way this works, or have you forgotten?"

Speed sat back hard in his chair, wincing at the pain in his shoulder when it connected with the hard wood.

"What, exactly, happened?" he asked wearily.

"Carlos Cevallos is up for parole," Sackheim explained.

"We let serial killers who hide behind the mob out on parole these days?" Tim said sarcastically. "Glad to know the country is heading in the right direction."

"It was the only way they could get the rest of his family, you know that," Sackheim answered.

"How did they find me?"

"Christina put your engagement announcement in the paper. There was a picture…"

"In one of the tiniest community newspapers in the entire city of Houston," Speed replied angrily. "You can't honestly think that's how they found me?"

"It turns out that one of Christina's cousins is new recruit in the Moreno family. His mother mailed him the announcement, he took it to his boss and…"

The agent lit a cigarette and handed it to Tim, who took a long drag. "How did you jam my gun?" he asked, changing the subject.

Sackheim grinned. The pompous agent was obviously quite pleased with himself. "We have experts at breaking and entering. We switched it out while you were sleeping."

"And I suppose the utter lameness of that is totally lost on you," Tim answered haughtily.

"Huh?" the agent responded with a frown.

Tim shook his head. "I got shot on Dispo Day because my gun was dirty. Horatio bought me a gun cleaning kit, Calleigh literally threatened my life, but, right, I'm totally going to _not_ clean my gun. Thanks for letting me go out looking like a fucking imbecile. I appreciate that."

Sackheim look confused and Speed had tired of the conversation. He just wanted to go back to his room and his memories. "Where to now?" he asked sadly.

The agent shrugged. "How do you feel about Los Angeles?"

A/N – Every interview I've read with Rory Cochrane where he talks about his death, he describes it as "lame". I just couldn't resist letting him get the last word in finally!


	4. Chapter 4

_First, please let me say thank you to all of you who have reviewed this story. I am overwhelmed by your positive comments and your enthusiasm for this story. It's very inspirational to me and makes me want to write even faster!! – Jen _

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_**Guilt**_

Christina sang when she was alone in the apartment. Tim could envision her dancing around while she sang – duster in hand. She'd done it while they were together. He'd caught her once as she danced past the small window that was just to the left of their apartment door. He thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

"Save room for my love, won't you save a little," she sang to John Legend as she cleaned.

He was reading the newspaper, bent over a small desk that had been left behind in the abandoned warehouse he now called home. The furnishings were Spartan – an old sofa and bed he'd bought from a thrift store, a small, dorm-size refrigerator, his listening equipment, a radio and several cheaply framed pictures of Christina and Isabella – all lit by several single light bulbs hanging from an extension cord that was tapping electricity from a business in the next building.

He chuckled absent-mindedly when Christina's voice cracked. He wasn't laughing because it was funny. He was laughing because it was just one of the million reasons he loved her.

There was a knock on the door. She opened it, and Tim heard her squeal with delight. "John Juan, what's up Cuz?" she said brightly.

Speed's radar immediately peaked. Juan was Christina's cousin – the one in the Moreno gang.

"Tina, I'm really sorry," Tim heard Juan say.

"Why do they have guns, Juan?" Christina asked quietly. The bug was barely picking up the conversation since Christina hadn't turned the stereo down.

"Where is he?" an unknown voice demanded. "We know he's alive and you've got his kid."

"What are you talking about?" Christina exclaimed.

"Tina, come on," Juan begged. "Just tell them where Speedle is, and we can go."

"FUCK!" Tim screeched. He grabbed his cell phone from the table beside him dialed 911.

As Tim paced and waited for the operator, he continued listening.

"Tim's dead," Christina cried. "Juan, what the hell?"

"Tina please," Juan implored. "Tell them where he is."

"You know what?" the unknown voice sneered. "We'll just take her with us. Boyfriend will come runnin' then."

"_911, what's your emergency?"_

"_My fiancée," Tim nearly yelled into the phone, "She's being kidnapped."_

"I'm telling you; I don't know what you are talking about."

"Listen you little bitch, that fucker is not going to testify against Carlos, you understand me?'

"_And how are you aware of this, sir?"_

"_I can…I can hear what's going on…" Tim stammered._

"Man you promised you wouldn't hurt her!" Juan said.

"_What's the address?"_

"I'm not gonna hurt her, we're just going to take a little ride."

"_14309 Benson, Apartment 314. Please hurry."_

"NO! I won't let you. She's my cousin."

There was a gunshot and Christina screamed. Tim was out the door. Several of the rickety stairs in the abandoned building caved in behind him as he raced down them.

He got to the street just in time to see Christina being stuffed into a waiting sedan. He didn't hesitate a moment in jumping on his bike and roaring away after them.

After nine blocks, he lost sight of the nondescript Cadillac. He hadn't even been able to get a license plate number. The woman he loved was gone – and all because of him.

He sat on the bike in disbelief at his failure. He knew there was only one thing left to do. Clutching his cell phone, he flipped it open and shut his eyes for a moment before dialing an unfamiliar, but memorized number.

_**Desperation**_

"Taylor."

"I need to report a missing person." Tim found it difficult to choke the words out.

He could hear Special Agent Danny Taylor rooting around for something to write on. "Okay, what's the name?"

"Christina Diaz."

Silence answered him.

"Who is this?" Danny finally demanded. "Is this some kind of a sick joke?"

"She was just kidnapped from your apartment by at least three members of the Moreno crime family," Speed explained. "It's possible that Juan Guillermo has been shot."

"I'm gonna ask this one more time," Danny said weakly. "Who is this?"

"Tim," he answered resolutely. "Tim Speedle."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Collide**_

The street in front of Christina and Danny's apartment was crawling with an odd assortment of blue NYPD uniforms, plain-clothes detectives, and FBI agents identified by their navy blue windbreakers with FBI scrawled across the back in gold. Tim was alternately grateful that Christina's abduction was being taken so seriously and worried about the ramifications of one of Moreno's gang members witnessing the circus on Benson Street.

A black Ford sedan skidded to a stop about a half block from the apartment entrance. Tim observed Danny Taylor's movements as he emerged from the passenger side of the vehicle. He was tall, Hispanic like Christina, with dark hair and eyes. He was athletic, much more so than Tim had ever been. Tim had seen Danny many times in his surveillance of Christina and Isabella. Most women would call Danny handsome. But today, the agent looked haggard and tired, as though he'd aged ten years since Tim's initial phone call.

Danny began to search the crowd of detectives, agents and onlookers milling around – searching, Tim knew, for a face that matched the snapshots which chronicled Tim's life with Christina. He dialed Danny's cell number and waited for the agent to answer.

"Taylor," Danny said weakly.

"I'm in the warehouse across the street from your apartment. I'll meet you in the old lobby area." He saw Danny turn to his partner and motion toward the building. The other man nod and the two began to walk across the street.

"Come alone, Taylor," Tim said, his tone angry. "I don't want the world to know I'm here."

"Get over it," Danny spat back before he disconnected the call.

Tim was waiting as the men entered the long-ago abandoned building. Sunbeams fought their way through grime-covered lead glass windows and he let the warmth of the light soothe his aching muscles. Their guns were drawn and he remained still.

Danny sucked in a deep breath and his eyes went wide as he caught site of the man he never believed he'd ever see in person. "Holy Mother of God."

His partner must have surmised that the man before them was, in fact, Tim Speedle, because both men holstered their weapons as they stepped over to Tim.

"Martin Fitzgerald, Tim Speedle. And obviously, we all know who I am, so we'll move on," Danny said bitterly.

Martin and Tim didn't shake hands, only tilted their head in the other's direction as a sign of acknowledgement. This wasn't a social call, a fact the three men present were acutely aware of.

"We need to know everything you heard," Martin said, breaking the unbearable silence. "Names, especially."

"No names," Tim said as he shook his head. "Christina said Juan's name, but there were no formal introductions."

"Juan's dead, just like you said," Martin offered. "Took one between the eyes."

"Was there any mention of Bella?" Danny asked, his tone nearing desperation.

It killed Tim to answer Danny's question. He was acting as though _he_ was Isabella's father. Tim's face scrunched in resentment. "_My_ daughter was mentioned, yes."

Danny's fury was slowly being etched into his face. "How 'bout we put off the pissing contest until after we find Christina?"

"We verified that Bella is fine," Martin interjected. "I was told that she was refusing to eat her 'bean greens', but other than that, she's having a good day."

Both Tim and Danny's scowls softened at the mention of Bella's stubbornness. Danny's cell phone rang at his hip. "Taylor," he answered – never taking his eyes off Tim.

He listened for a moment; then stepped away to another part of the warehouse, leaving Martin alone with Tim.

"I know this isn't easy for either of you," Martin said quietly. "Danny really does love Christina and Isabella."

"So do I," Tim seethed.

Martin held a hand up in surrender. "I would never imply that you didn't. Just please understand that this is hurting him just as much as it's hurting you."

The words stung. Not once had Tim bothered to consider that Danny's love for Christina was real. Nor did he consider that for the last thirteen months, Danny was the only father Isabella had known. _He _was but a ghost – slipping into her room in the middle of the night to whisper in her ear. Danny had been the one to soothe the boo-boos, to rock her when she had a fever, to tuck her into bed at night.

When Danny returned to them, his eyes were wet. "You okay?" Tim asked; his tone polite.

Danny eyed him curiously. "That was Christina's mother," he answered.

"Did you tell Marina about me?" Tim questioned.

Danny shook his head and stared at the wall – past Tim. "I figured she was already processing enough life-altering information at the moment."

"There's a loading dock at the back of the building," Martin said, "I'll bring the car around – we'll need you to come back to the office with us."

Tim shook his head. "Not interested. I'll tell you anything you want to know, but I'm not leaving."

It was that statement that finally sent Danny Taylor over the edge. The younger man launched at him with a fury that scared Tim. "This is your fault!" Danny roared. "And you say, 'not interested'! This is Christina for Christ's sake!"

Martin stepped between them with his arms extended as the men continued to argue.

"What good would come of that?" Tim retorted. "Has it not occurred to you that getting me out in the open is what they want?"

"If I thought a bullet in your head would bring her back – I'd shove you into the street myself!"

"ENOUGH!" Martin yelled – shoving his partner backward by several feet. "None of this is helping Christina."

He pointed at Danny. "You go across the street and check with the forensics teams." Then he turned his attention to Tim. "You are going to stay here and answer my questions."

Danny stalked off – slamming the heavy iron door as he exited the building. The door groaned in protest, echoing the shattered emotions both inside and, now, outside its four walls.

Martin pinched the bridge of his nose. "How did you become involved with the Moreno family?" he tiredly asked.

Tim laughed bitterly. "I didn't become 'involved' with them. Carlos Cevallos murdered my parents. I saw it happen."

Martin frowned in confusion. "I met your parents four months ago. They picked Bella up for the weekend."

Tim shook his head. "Those people seem really nice, but they aren't my parents. The FBI hired them for my funeral. Christina had never met my folks, so nobody thought it would be a big deal until she found out she was pregnant and moved to New York."

"This is some twisted stuff," Martin answered with a dismayed shake of his head. "Okay, so why didn't Cevallos kill you too?"

"He didn't know I was there. I should have been at school," Tim explained, his voice distant with the grief he still felt. "I was in the freezer at our restaurant, getting some meat for my dad. There was a diamond shaped window on the door. I could see out – but there was frost on the window and no light in the freezer, so they couldn't see in. And it was insulated – so nobody heard me."

"I'm really sorry, man," Martin said softly. "How old were you?"

"Eighteen years and four days," he responded. "The feds were going to put me in protective custody until Cevallos' trial. Then, Cevallos cut a deal to give the government some expendable members of the Moreno family. The feds didn't know that at the time, so they took the deal.

"They changed my appearance, my name – gave me a new birth certificate and Social Security card, faked a year's worth of transcripts from Columbia and let me disappear," he continued. "I worked odd jobs until I ended up in Miami."

"What was your name?" Martin asked respectfully, "before Cevallos?"

Tim couldn't help but smile at the ancient memory. "Shaun McGarrity."


	6. Chapter 6

I sincerely apologize that it's taken me so long to update this story. First I suffered from writer's block, then from the flu, then had a sick baby, too much work...you get the idea.

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_**Confront **_

Tim slept fitfully – tossing and turning under the thin covers. He was haunted by visions of Christina, and by his daughter's insistent wailing. She wanted her mother, and based on the volume of her shrieking, didn't care if the entire neighborhood knew.

By 2 a.m. Bella's sobbing had finally deteriorated into random sniffling as she surrendered to sleep. Danny was in the hallway, having just laid her down when Tim slipped into the apartment, startling him.

"What do you want?" he demanded – his voice tinged with exhaustion. His t-shirt was wet from Bella's tears and his pajama pants crumpled from wrestling her to sleep.

Tim surveyed the room – zeroing in on a bottle of scotch on the kitchen table. "I thought you were an alcoholic," Tim stated flatly.

Danny's gaze fixated on the half empty bottle. "I am," Danny answered truthfully. "Martin brought it, and I didn't stop him."

"Ah," Tim said, disbelieving Danny's response.

Danny shook his head defiantly. "So, now we're going to have the argument about how I'm not good enough for Christina, not good enough for Isabella, because I had a problem when I was a kid?"

"I didn't _say_ anything," Tim replied.

Danny eyed him suspiciously and began to pace the room. "You apparently know everything about me. I know virtually nothing about you. And what little I've managed to drag out of Christina is a lie."

"It's not a lie that I love my family," Tim retorted.

"They're my family too," Danny answered, his eyes welling with tears. "I may have a problem with alcohol, but I've never lied about it to Christina. You on the other hand, have a problem with people wanting to kill you. But did you bother to tell her?"

"I never thought it would be a problem," Tim began.

"Well, it's obviously a problem_ now_!" Danny interjected.

Tim shut his eyes to block out the truth Taylor was speaking. "This wasn't supposed to happen," Tim whispered.

Danny shrugged and laughed bitterly. "Well what are you going to do about it? Wait, what should I call you – Tim? Speed? Shaun? I'm a little confused at the moment and I don't know which one of you to blame."

"I've been working on plan," Tim began.

"Well, this ought to be good," Danny answered sarcastically as he flopped into his recliner.

"A trade," Tim explained. "Your team rounded up some of Moreno's men. You are going to go behind your boss's back and let it slip that you know where I am."

Danny shook his head again. "Too risky," he argued.

"It's all we have," Tim countered. "The Moreno family's lid is on tight. Christina will be gone forever if you don't offer me up."

Danny ran both hands over his face. He began to chew on his thumbnail as he contemplated his options. "They'll kill you."

Speed regarded Danny seriously. "Solve all your problems, wouldn't it?"

Taylor appeared wounded by the accusation. "I'm _not_ the bad guy, Speedle," he said softly.

Tim's gaze shifted from Danny to the little dark-haired girl in her bright pink pajamas standing at the end of the hallway and his heart skipped a beat. "Daddy?" she said quietly, her brow knitted in confusion as her chocolate eyes darted between them.

Danny launched himself from the recliner and scooped Isabella up. "You are supposed to be asleep," he said with a smile, pressing kisses on Bella's full cheeks.

"Miwk," she stated forcefully, looking past Danny to Tim.

Danny pressed a hand dramatically to his forehead. "Silly Dada," he said, eliciting a laugh from Bella. "I forgot the milk!"

"Silly Dada," she echoed as she grasped the sides of his face affectionately.

Tim's heart shattered as reality crashed down over him. While he silently wished to hold her, even for a moment, Danny Taylor did the unthinkable, at least in Tim's mind.

"Would you hold her for a minute while I fix her cup?" he asked casually, holding the precious baby out to him.

_**Love**_

Tim could barely breathe as he took Bella into his arms. He cradled her head and ran his fingers through her ebony curls. Isabella regarded her father seriously – studying his features carefully, a solid frown set on her mouth.

"Hi…baby", he choked out. He didn't bother to brush away his tears, the outward expression of the overwhelming joy he felt inside. His daughter, his baby, his precious child, was finally in his arms.

"No cwy," Bella said softly before planting a tiny kiss on Tim's nose. "Awl bettur."

"All better," Tim agreed as he pressed kisses into her hair and held his daughter tight.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – Saint Columbus of Bobbio is named by the Vatican as the patron saint of motorcyclists. It's taken me five months to update, and for that I apologize. The only excuse I can offer is life.

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_**Hesitation**_

Horatio Caine was out of his element. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd been this on edge and anxious – fear mixed with anticipation. Danny Taylor's phone call had been a frantic one – Christina had been kidnapped and his assistance would be greatly appreciated. Horatio was happy to help – he'd always had great affection for Speed's fiancée, but that wasn't the reason he'd boarded an airplane at 5 o'clock in the morning.

He simply had to know, once and for all, if Tim Speedle was alive. He'd had suspicions, uncovered little things that simply didn't add up. Weeks after Speed's death, Alexx casually commented that the body haulers who transported his body that fateful day must have been new. Calleigh's report on Tim's gun was inconclusive – it was neither clean nor dirty – it simply jammed. While reviewing the autopsy photos, Horatio noticed the tiniest of tan lines on Speed's left ring finger. The only jewelry Tim Speedle ever wore was a watch and a St. Columbus medal Christina had given him.

He'd grilled Dennis Sackheim repeatedly, but the agent feigned ignorance. There were moments when Horatio Caine chalked up seeing Tim Speedle five months after his death to an apparition borne from his grief. Other times, he wasn't so sure.

One of Danny's partners, Vivian Johnson, greeted him at the airport. "Lieutenant," she said, offering him a bright smile that belied the dark circles under her eyes. "It's good to meet you, finally. Christina speaks highly of you."

She eyed the silent, red-haired lieutenant warily. "You need to know," she asked softly, "if he's still alive?"

Horatio admired the investigator's keen instincts but found he could only nod a wary reply.

"Yes," she answered resolutely, "He is alive and we have him."

_**Anxious**_

Tim paced the floor in Danny and Christina's apartment and chewed on his thumbnail. It was the one trait of his Christina abhorred, but he just wasn't able to stop. Danny's cell phone had been inserted into a speaker unit, awaiting a call none of them was sure would ever come.

It had, at two minutes till noon.

"Good Morning, Agent Taylor," the caller said – his detached tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's still morning, right?"

"For another minute and a half," Danny answered, his eyes closed and his hands folded as if in prayer. "Where is Christina?"

The caller ignored his plea. "My mama would slap me for my bad manners if I didn't take a moment to acknowledge the others in the room. Agent Fitzgerald, Agent Malone, Agent Spade, I'm so glad you could all join us. Shaun, I hope you're bonding with your little girl, enjoying your last few moments of life."

Danny shook his head at Speed, silently ordering him not to give in to the baiting. "I told Christina that she'd have to rename that beautiful little baby of yours. After all, Bella's name is McGarrity, not Speedle."

It surprised no one that Danny, Speed and the apartment were under surveillance by the Moreno family. The only thing that astounded Danny was that Speed hadn't been caught the night before.

"We don't have Speedle yet," Danny interrupted.

The caller laughed icily. "I'd murk his ass right now if I could. But my problem's not with you, Taylor. And I wouldn't risk hitting Agent Spade. Be a shame to waste such a fine piece of ass with a stray bullet…"

"I want to talk to Christina," Danny answered slowly.

"In due time, my friend, in due time. Right now, I want to discuss the particulars of a trade. I want Shaun, you want Shaun gone. It's pretty cut and dry to me, Taylor."

The assembled heard what sounded like the shuffling of feet on the other end of the line, and finally, faint whispering before the caller returned. "Lieutenant Caine has arrived," he said impassively.

Samantha was at the window in a second and peered out onto the street below. Vivian's sedan was at the curb and Samantha caught just a wisp of red hair as the two ducked under the building's overhang. She nodded at Danny.

Speed's heart fell into his stomach. He was about to come face to face with his mentor, his boss, his friend, after more than two years of deception. The caller seemed to read his thoughts.

"Must make you feel better, Shaun, having someone there who's on your side? Caine probably doesn't even want to see you dead. Be nice if you could say the same thing about Taylor," he said with a snicker.

The door to the apartment opened and Vivian stepped inside with Horatio close on her heels. No words were exchanged between Speed and Horatio – who instantly realized the kidnapper was on the phone. Horatio simply stared at Speed – his azure eyes clouded with emotions that ran the gambit from indignant anger to overwhelming gratitude. All Speed could do was hang his head in resignation. His mistakes had reopened a wound he knew from experience never truly healed.

"I'm not discussing any deals until I talk to Christina," Danny reiterated.

"What can I say, Taylor? You've been nothing but a gentleman," the caller conceded. Moments later, Christina's voice came on the line.

"Danny?" she asked weakly, and Speed let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Danny collapsed onto his knees in front of the table and gently touched the speaker as if he were touching his fiancée. "Oh my God, Baby, are you okay? Are they hurting you?"

"No," she answered. Her tone was emphatic, but shaky. "No one has hurt me. Not any more than I've already been hurt."

The words stung their intended victim like a dagger and Speed's eyes grew moist. He deserved all of her fury and so much more.

He replied, "Christina, I'm so sorry for all of this."

His apology fell on deaf ears. Christina continued her conversation with Danny as though Speed wasn't present. "How is Bella?" she asked cautiously. "What have you told her?"

"She's fine, Baby, she's fine," Danny's own voice was becoming strained. "She's in her room right now watching _Little Einsteins_. I told her you had to work. God, Tina, I love you so much…"

There was more shuffling and the kidnapper came back on the line. "Tina had to go. She loves you too, Taylor. McGarrity? You not so much. You can imagine how pissed Tina was to find out her life with you was a lie."

He was baiting Tim again, who remained silent. "I never knew such ugly words could come out of such a pretty little mouth," he continued.

"You wanted to talk about a trade," Danny interjected, "so let's talk."

Tim could almost hear the kidnapper smiling on the other end of the line. "That's more like it, Taylor. Brooklyn Marine Terminal, one hour. Don't forget to bring McGarrity."

TBC….


	8. Chapter 8

_**Liberation**_

The caravan of five government issued vehicles wound through the city streets – their deeply tinted windows deftly camouflaging the occupants. In each vehicle, two agents sat in the front while another sat in the back – presumably Tim Speedle, to anyone who might be watching.

"If it comes down to it," Speed implored, "save Christina."

"I never intended otherwise," Danny answered impassively, his eyes focused on the maze of streets that encompassed Brooklyn's seaport. His cell phone rang and he flipped it open. "Taylor."

The car lurched to the right as Danny momentarily lost control of the steering wheel.

"Danny?" Martin questioned. Taylor threw up his pointer finger as an answer while he listened intently.

"What do you mean, you escaped?" he hissed.

Tim fought the urge to leap over the seat and rip the phone out of Danny's hand. "Christina, where _are_ you?" Taylor demanded.

"Yeah, of course I remember where it is," Danny replied. "I'm sending Raffi to get you. Hang tight."

He pressed the end button and quickly began dialing, a look of bewilderment on his face. "How'd she escape?" Tim questioned.

Danny laughed heartily. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he answered with a grin. "Raffi!" he said into the phone.

_**Orchestrate**_

They were too close to the Brooklyn Marina to turn back. Any deviation in the plan now might alert the Moreno family that Christina had made contact. Samantha and Jack pulled in first and exited their vehicle. Danny and Martin stayed back with the other vehicles. Jack's cell phone would ring just once – when Danny's brother had successfully delivered Christina to FBI headquarters.

"You think she'll be safe with your brother?" Tim asked.

Danny turned to face him. "Raffi would rather die than let anything happen to his family. She couldn't be in safer hands."

Tim shook his head knowingly and resumed watching the meeting that was playing out before him. Samantha and Jack were wired, allowing all agents in the vicinity to hear the conversation.

"You bring McGarrity?" the man quickly identified by agents as Miguel Moreno asked. He was tall and thin, his dark hair closely shaved. He wore a diamond earring in his left ear and his tattooed arms were folded defiantly across his chest. He leaned on a white Lexus, but stood as Samantha and Jack approached.

Samantha nodded in the direction of her vehicle. "He's in there, but you don't see him until I see Christina."

"I oughta just take him out now, save us all some trouble," Moreno snarled.

"Bulletproof glass," Samantha noted. "You wouldn't want me to get hit by a ricochet, right?"

Moreno laughed. "Damn woman, why you gotta be so fine? You make it hard for a man to disagree."

Danny's cell rang and he answered it quickly. "You got her?" he asked his brother; then listened for the reply. "Agents will meet you at the back – go in like you're coming to visit me." He snapped the phone shut again.

"They're two blocks away from the office," Danny explained.

Martin ran a hand through his hair. "A lot can go wrong in two blocks," he said warily.

"Tell me about it," Danny said under his breath.

Moreno was still playing it cool – his demeanor belying the fact that he'd lost his only leverage. "Ya know, Spade, you agree to go out with me and I just might _not_ kill him in front of you."

Samantha rolled her eyes in response. "Miguel, you know I can't just give you Shaun McGarrity. He's a federally protected witness."

Moreno leaned back on his car. "What do you have in mind?" he asked casually.

Samantha stepped closer. "He could just escape."

There was a flash of worry behind Moreno's dark eyes. "Escape, huh?"

"Yeah, escape," Samantha repeated with an annoyed tip of her head. "Look, this is between you, me and Jack. Danny's our partner, our friend. We don't know this McGarrity guy and he's not relevant to any cases we're working. We'll give him to you, but you've got to play it our way or else the next time we see one another will be behind bars."

"Playing it your way has never been my strong suit, Agent Spade," Moreno answered with a sick grin. "We're on opposite sides of the proverbial tracks."

"What the hell is taking so long?" Martin questioned from their vehicle. "Raphael and Christina should be there by now."

Danny didn't reply and continued to chew nervously on the antenna of his cell phone.

"She hates it when you do that, doesn't she?" Tim asked from the back.

Danny's head whipped around to glare at Speed. "If I were you, I wouldn't presume to know what Christina hates and doesn't hate. 'Cause right now, I'd be willing to bet you're at the top of her hate list."

"I chew on my thumbnail," Speed added with a chuckle. "Drives her nuts."

"DROVE her nuts," Danny corrected him. "She thought you were dead until a couple of hours ago. She's moved on – has a new life with me. Stuff I do DRIVES her nuts – your stuff DROVE her nuts – past tense – which you better get used to really quick."

Danny's cell mercifully rang again and he answered it without speaking. "Thanks," he said quickly before dialing Jack's cell. He allowed the phone to ring just once before pressing End.

"You're stalling," Jack told Moreno was a sly smile. "You don't even have Christina here, do you?"

Moreno stood and within a second, Samantha and Jack's black Tahoe was a fireball – the force of rocket-launched missile slamming all three onto the ground.

"Shit!" Martin screamed before scrambling out of the vehicle. Danny and Speed remained helplessly in their seats, under orders not to move no matter what. Other agents furiously hurried over to their downed comrades. One was able to get cuffs on Moreno, but by the time to smoke began to clear; the rest of Moreno's associates had disappeared.

"Go, Danny!" Jack screeched into his microphone. Danny didn't need to be told twice. He threw the Tahoe into reverse and squealed away from the docks. Danny quickly dialed a number as he took a right turn nearly on two wheels. "This is Taylor," he nearly shouted into the phone. "I'm bringing Speedle in and going underground. I want sharpshooters on the roofs of surrounding buildings and agents stationed outside the entrance."

"I want to see Christina when we get there," Speed quietly demanded. He knew he had no right to make the request, but the words were out of his mouth before he realized.

Danny shook his head and laughed bitterly. "I think that will be up to Christina, don't you?"

TBC…..


	9. Chapter 9

_**Answers**_

"Where is he?" Christina demanded as the doors to the elevator bearing Danny and Tim began to open. Her disheveled appearance quickly told Speed the story of her escape. The pink tank top and gray yoga pants she'd been wearing when she was kidnapped were dirty, torn and bloodied at the knees. There were fresh scrapes on her arms and chest, presumably from a fall. The anger in her eyes was evident. "Where IS he?" she shrieked again.

Danny reached out and gathered Christina into his arms. Her body was stiff in his embrace. "I thought I'd never see you again," he said gently as he stroked her tangled dark hair. Her chocolate eyes were shooting daggers at Tim over Danny's shoulder.

She untangled herself from Danny's arms; kissed him quickly; then added, "Hold that thought." Christina stepped over to where Tim stood almost sheepishly in the corner.

"Hey," he said solemnly.

"Hey," she repeated sarcastically, then reached back with her right fist and slugged him in the face as hard as she possibly could. Tim fell hard into the wall behind him and put a hand up to his cheek. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she screamed. "I could have been killed!"

Danny was on her in an instant, grabbing Christina around the waist and pulling her away from Speed. She kicked out at Tim as Danny drug her away, but thankfully missed. She was still screaming and struggling as Danny tried to kick the door to a meeting room closed, "I hate you, you sorry piece of shit!"

The man standing beside Tim offered his handkerchief to wipe up the blood Christina's punch had drawn. Tim accepted it gratefully.

"Latina women can be quite a handful, can't they?" The man extended his hand to Speed. "Raphael Alvarez, I'm Danny's brother."

"Tim Speedle, Christina's fiancé." He cringed in pain as he touched the soft cotton to his wound.

Raphael laughed heartily. "Man, if I was you, I wouldn't let Danny _or_ Christina hear you say that. One of them might give you a matching shiner for the other eye."

"Habit," Speed shrugged. He glanced around the office and finally noticed Horatio hanging in a doorway. A grin was plastered on the Lieutenant's face.

"She's got a great right cross," Horatio smirked. Speed began to make his way over to his former boss.

"Am I TKO, or should I expect more?" Tim asked curiously.

Horatio smiled and looked away. "You know what – I haven't decided yet." He waved his hand and ushered Tim into another meeting room. "I have some questions."

"I'm sure," Speed answered sarcastically and slid into a chair opposite from the one Horatio had occupied before he arrived. Horatio sorted through the stack of open files before him, examining each before procuring one from the pile.

"Here's what I know – Carlos Cevallos killed your mother and your father in your family's restaurant. He didn't know you were in the meat locker, so he left. You were put into protective custody until the trial…"

"There was no_ trial_," Tim spat out. "Feds cut a deal. Cevallos should have gotten life or the death penalty, but now he comes up for parole every ten years or so and makes my life hell."

"I…was just getting to that," Horatio shot back angrily. Speed knew better than to say anything else, so he slumped in his chair. He'd never been on _this_ side of one of Horatio's interrogations and he wasn't enjoying himself.

"What was your parents' relationship with the Morenos?" Horatio asked.

Tim swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment. "The neighborhood had been changing for a couple of years – gangs and Skinheads moving in. The Morenos offered protection for money and my parents were first generation Irish-Americans. At that point, the Skinheads were the most dangerous. It didn't seem like a bad idea until the restaurant started losing money and Dad couldn't pay."

"I take it Carlos was in charge of collecting the money?"

"You got it, H."

Horatio shook his head. "I'm really sorry, Speed."

"Yeah, me too," he sighed. "I'm sorry for a lot of things."

The air suddenly became thick with tension. Neither man was eager to relive their last few moments together on the floor of a Miami jewelry store. Speed coughed unconsciously and Horatio took the opportunity begin scanning the files again.

"Why Miami?" Horatio asked curiously.

Tim shook his head. "A friend of mine died in a car accident our senior year of high school. I knew his uncle pretty well and I knew that he'd moved to Miami. I was tired of just floating around, so I looked him up."

"You told him what was going on?"

Tim dug a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. He took a long drag before Horatio yanked it out of his mouth and stubbed it out in an ashtray. "You don't smoke," Horatio said, almost inaudibly.

Speed sighed heavily and folded his hands in front of him. "There's a _lot_ about me you don't know, H."

Horatio's jaw clenched and he turned his face away from Tim. "Please don't do that," Tim quietly begged. "You're the only person here who is on my side."

Horatio didn't answer. He just shook his head and stood. He turned at the doorway, as though he had something to say; then changed his mind and slammed the door, leaving Tim alone. Clearly, Horatio Caine had yet to decide whose "side" he was on.

_**Reunion**_

"He's pretty pissed," Christina said from the other doorway, "I know how he feels."

Speed was amazed he hadn't heard her come in. Her hair was now pulled back in a loose ponytail and she was wearing clean FBI sweats to replace the clothes she'd ruined during her escape. She hopped onto a short bookcase and glowered at him. "Your face hurt?" she asked coolly.

"Yes," he answered softly.

"Good," she shot back.

Tim grinned despite himself. "Chris…" he began, but she cut him off by raising her hand.

"Shut up," she said irritably, "Just shut up."

She leaned back against the glass wall above the bookcase, closed her eyes, shook her head and sighed, "I loved you so much, Tim…"

"I love you too."

Tears had begun to wind down her cheeks, but his confession drew her rage once more and she threw the closest thing within reach - a coffee mug - at him. He dodged it and the ceramic shattered on the tile floor below. "I told you to shut up," she choked out through her tears.

"I'm sorry for all of this," he answered gently. "There aren't enough words to tell you how sorry I am."

"You're SORRY?" she said belligerently. "Oh WOW, that's GREAT! Let's just forgive and forget. Hey, I have an idea – let's forget all those years we were together, let's forget that you asked me to marry you – let's forget about you being the father of my child – let's forget about my child bonding with grandparents who are ACTORS!"

"Chris..." he tried again.

"And it will be _so_ easy to forget, because, guess what? Tim Speedle doesn't _exist_. Five years of my life have been a complete and utter lie."

"I love you and I love Isabella and that's not a lie," he stated firmly.

"So, who do we get to love in return? Shaun McGarrity? Tim Speedle? Or whoever your next identity is?"

"It's not that simple, Christina."

"It IS that simple, Tim. I thought I was going to _die_ when you were gone. I didn't know it was _possible_ to hurt that much. And then I found out I was pregnant and suddenly, I knew I'd have a little piece of you with me forever…"

Tim rested his face in his hands as he began to weep. Christina continued, "I moved here, and I tried so hard to get on with my life. I have the most beautiful child on the planet, but something was always missing. Then, I met Danny. And when he grinned that sly little grin of his at me, I felt _alive_ for the first time in a long time."

"And then I come back and ruin it all?" he asked.

Christina laughed. "Ruin? You didn't ruin anything. If you've got some warped idea that I'm just going to forgive you and run back into your arms, you're not nearly as intelligent as I've always given you credit for."

She slid down from the bookcase and made her way back to the door. "Stay here, leave, I don't really care, Tim. I love Danny, and as far as I'm concerned, he's Bella's father. We're going to keep building our life together, and it no longer includes you."

She paused in the doorway just as Samantha and Jack were dragging Miguel Moreno down the hallway. She threw the door wide open and turned to glare at Tim. "He's all yours Miguel."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N The quote is from William Congreve's play "The Mourning Bride" (1697), but is commonly attributed to Shakespeare.

_**Safety**_

Jack and Horatio made the decision to place Danny, Christina, Isabella and Tim in protective custody – stashed in a Manhattan safehouse, where they would remain until Cevallos' parole hearing. Jack's tone, when he told them, defied argument. Isabella was delivered to FBI headquarters without incident. The Moreno family was often cruel and sometimes heartless - they liked their liquor expensive, their women cheap and their guns illegal, but they'd never hurt an innocent child, no matter how much they wanted her father dead.

"I always forget how nice this place is," Danny whistled as he opened the door and placed Isabella down. She toddled off toward the large windows on the right side of the living area – laughing at her reflection in the glass.

"Not exactly child-proof," Christina grumbled as she dropped the diaper bag and took off after Bella.

The Manhattan apartment was poshly furnished with leather sofas, luxurious rugs, king size beds and marble countertops. It was often used to persuade would-be whistleblowers that life on the right side of the law was better than the alternative.

Horatio had elected to join them in the apartment – if for no other reason than to referee the inevitable battles ahead. Christina had been less than thrilled at the prospect of living under the same roof as Tim, even if it was only for a few days.

Danny collapsed on the floor in front of the window and pulled Christina onto his lap. He made faces at the glass that sent Bella into hysterics. Christina couldn't help but laugh along. Tim couldn't help but be heartbroken. He was beginning to realize how naïve it was to think his family would easily be _his_.

Horatio stepped up behind him and placed his hand on Speed's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, H," Tim said quietly.

_**Torture**_

Over the next several hours, Christina ignored Tim and kept him separated from Bella as much as possible. Most were plausible excuses: "Bella needs a nap", "time for a bath", but they were designed to inflict as much pain on Tim as she could. She made dinner for all of them with the groceries provided by the FBI, but only set the table for three, forcing Tim to retrieve a plate for himself from the cabinet.

It was childish, but he also knew he deserved it. He recalled a quote he'd learned in his honors Junior English class – "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." He'd had opportunities to confess his past to her, but he always thought there would be time. He hadn't wanted to sully one minute they had together with such horrendous memories.

Tim also knew Christina well enough to know that her anger tended to be like a bomb – it exploded, burned for a little while, and then it was over. She didn't often hold a grudge, but she'd never been wronged like this before. All he could do was wait it out and hope for an opportunity to talk to her.

"Dada and Dada," Bella said from her high chair, alternately pointing her spoon at Danny and Tim. She laughed brightly and kicked her feet against the hard plastic foot rest.

"Bella, please stop," Christina chastised.

"Huh?" Bella's ebony curls bounced as she tilted her head to the side and questioned her mother with a frown. "Huh" had recently become her favorite word. She liked to break it out any time she didn't want to listen to her parents.

Tim ate his meal in silence. He was savoring a personal victory – Christina hadn't walked out of the room when he sat down at the table. Nor did he wish to flame the fire of Christina's anger by interacting with them. He was happy to just cool his heels and watch his daughter play with her spaghetti.

She draped a noodle over her nose and turned to Danny. "Daddy, me funny!" she said happily.

Danny tried to look stern, but quickly lost the battle. He leaned over and sucked the noodle off Bella's tiny button nose. She roared her approval. "And you taste delicious!" Danny teased.

Christina blinked her eyes slowly and pressed her fingers into her temples. Tim knew precisely what was coming next. He'd seen it before, many times. She rose from the table and started to rinse her plate in the sink.

Tim could see the tell-tale lines forming on her forehead. He followed her into the kitchen and took the sprayer away from her. "You need to go take your pills and lie down."

She snatched the plate and sprayer back and sneered, "I don't need you telling me what to do!"

Tim just shook his head. "So, you'd rather be in bed with a migraine for two days than listen to me?"

"YES!" she snapped and stalked out of the kitchen. He followed her down the hall, but she slammed the door to her bedroom in his face, nearly breaking his nose.

_**Heaven and Hell**_

"Goddamn it, Christina, open the door," Tim said, the words spilling out much harsher than he'd intended.

"Go to hell," she shot back.

"Honey, I'm already there!" he retorted, trying the handle just for grins. He was shocked when it turned under his grasp. He threw the door open and stood there contemplating his next move while Christina gaped at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed.

"Something you'll thank me for later," he growled before kicking the door shut with his foot. He crossed over to where she sat on the edge of the bed and tackled her, forcing her down onto the soft suede fabric. He crushed his lips down on hers and used his weight advantage to limit her struggling. He kissed her roughly, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips, begging for entrance. She fought him for only a moment more, before surrendering and opening her mouth to his with a muffled sob.

He kissed her with all the love and passion he felt for her and more. Their tongues dueled for control and Tim fought the urge to re-claim her as his then and there. When it finally became too much, he broke the kiss. He continued to hold her while his heart raced. Her lips were swollen, her breath short, and he thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

He reluctantly rose from the bed and stepped into the attached bathroom. Christina was nothing if not a creature of habit. He located the medicine cabinet and took out the small bottle of prescription pain medicine. He shook two pills into his hand and filled a crystal glass with water.

When he returned to the bedroom, Danny was pulling back the covers for Christina. "I'm sorry, Danny," Tim heard her say.

Danny smiled softly at his fiancée. "Don't you dare apologize. If I'd had your day, I'd have a migraine too."

Tim handed Christina the pills and the water. "Thanks," she said quietly. He could tell from the deeply etched lines on Christina's forehead the migraine had already taken hold.

"Can I get you anything?" Danny asked gently.

She touched the side of his face. "You?" she answered with a faint smile. It killed Tim to see Christina's eyes light up when Danny was around.

Danny kissed her hand. "Let me get the baby to bed and we'll see what we can do about that."

He stood to leave the room; then turned to Speed. "If she's not throwing punches at you, now might be a good time to talk to her."

"Thanks," Tim said gratefully.

Danny laughed. "Don't thank me. I'm still hoping she throws you off the roof." He dimmed the lights and gently shut the door behind him.

Tim motioned to the bed with his hand. "May I?"

"Yeah," she said reluctantly.

"So," he began slowly, "how did you get out?"

Christina smiled at the memory and rested her head back on the pillows Danny had placed behind her. "_One_ guard," she said with a laugh. "One guard taking an NYPD police detective back to her room. I guess Miguel didn't know I have a black belt in karate."

Speed grinned. "Or that you lettered in track."

"Or that I've been taking Krav Maga classes since Bella was born. It was the 'shuto' that put him on the ground."

"You've been through a lot, and all because of me," he sighed.

"How do you expect me to forgive you for all of this?" she asked honestly.

Although he'd been expecting to hear these words, they still stung. "I don't," he said with a shake of his head. "I can't even forgive myself. I just want the opportunity to show you how much I love you and Bella."

The long, exhausting day had caught up to Christina and her eyes grew heavy. She snuggled deeper into the pillows and pulled the covers up to her chin. He longed to climb into the bed with her. "I don't know what to do," she said, her words becoming garbled, "with you being alive."

Tim stood from the bed and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Don't think about it now," he said gently. "Just get some sleep."

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

_**Rage**_

He rose from his bed hours later, unable to sleep and needing a stiff drink to help him relax. The kiss he'd shared with Christina played on a loop in his mind – leaving him restless and frustrated. He made his way down the hallway and paused to poke his head into Isabella's makeshift room. She was in her crib, on her back with one chubby leg dangling through the slats. He gently poked her foot back through and turned her lengthwise in the crib. Bella rolled onto her side muttering "DaDaDaDaDa."

He shook his head and marveled at his daughter's ability to be adorable, even in the deepest of sleep. He shut the door behind him and continued down the hall. He paused outside Christina and Danny's bedroom and quickly realized the couple was still awake. The sounds emanating from within were unmistakable and would torment Tim– they were making love.

Anger and jealousy erupted from his heart and he recoiled from the door in disgust. A primal desire to put an end their tête-à-tête was very nearly overwhelming. No amounts of liquor could rid him of the unwelcome images currently ravaging his brain.

He removed a bottle of scotch from the liquor cabinet anyway and poured himself a tall drink. He downed it in one gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He fought the visual of Taylor inside the woman _he_ loved, the mother of _his_ child.

This was, by no means, the first time Christina and Danny had sex, but he'd always been able to turn off the bugs he'd placed in their apartment - here there was no escape.

He meant to pour another drink, but before he even realized what he'd done, his rage got the better of him and he hurled the bottle. The shattering of the heavy glass against the marble backsplash in the kitchen echoed throughout the silent apartment.

He cursed under his breath and began searching for a broom and dust pan. The front door flew open and the two agents assigned to guard the apartment entered with weapons drawn. "Mr. McGarrity, is everything okay?" the younger of the two asked curiously. The name on his file said McGarrity, and the agents refused to refer to him by Speedle.

"Yeah, it's fine, I dropped the scotch," he muttered.

"No, you _threw_ the scotch," Christina stated flatly, causing Tim to spin around to face her. A silky robe covered what Tim knew must be her naked body.

"Since everything's okay, we're going to step out now," the agent said, quickly closing the door. It didn't take a genius to know an argument was about to ensue, and Christina's office assault on Tim had quickly become legend.

The thought of Christina before him with nothing but a thin layer of silk covering her was almost more than he could bear. He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at her and said the first thing that came to his mind, "You done fucking your boyfriend?" He instantly regretted the outburst.

Christina's eyes raked down his body, to the growing bulge in the front of his flannel pajama pants. "Jealous?" she asked with a salacious taunt.

_**Temptation**_

His eyes went dark with lust and he backed her up against the cabinets. She gasped in surprise. "How much longer are you going to torture me?" he snarled into her ear.

"I…I don't know…" she managed to choke out. Tim's hand snaked under her robe and his fingers ran slowly up her thigh. She swallowed hard. "Please, Tim…"

He kissed the hollow under her ear and smiled at her sharp intake of breath. "Please, what?"

His hand cupped her breast and he felt the wall between them begin to crumble. "I'm engaged," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper as she began to shake.

"Yeah," he answered; his voice husky with desire, "to me."

"Ahem." They both turned to find Horatio staring at them. Christina quickly recovered herself and untangled from Speed's embrace. She muttered something about checking on Bella and escaped.

"Great timing, H," Tim said sarcastically, grabbing a sponge from the sink to begin wiping up the spilled scotch.

Horatio opened the pantry and pulled out a broom and dustpan. "Speed," he began slowly, "Don't confuse physical attraction with love. They're two different things."

"What am I supposed to do, H? Let her marry Taylor?" he asked incredulously.

"If that's what she wants in the end, then yes."

"What about what _I_ want?" Tim demanded.

Horatio smiled. "I think…your life is too uncertain at the moment to be making demands on Christina." He handed the broom and dustpan to Speed. "I'm going back to bed."

_**Truth**_

He woke the next morning – even more tired and restless than he'd been before his midnight run-in with Christina. He shuffled down the hall in search of coffee and encountered the happy family sitting at the breakfast table. He groaned inwardly and debated whether or not to head back to his room. The smell of freshly made pancakes lured him into the kitchen, and he found Horatio with spatula in hand. He flipped four hot ones onto a plate, added some bacon and handed the plate to Speed, who accepted it with a grunt.

Horatio chuckled and shook his head in dismay. Luckily, he'd learned many years ago that Tim Speedle could not be considered human until he ingested his first cup of coffee. Speed poured himself a cup and nearly flopped into a chair at the table. He looked up at Christina, who was grinning at him over the top of her coffee mug.

"What?" he challenged angrily.

"Nothing," she laughed, "I had just forgotten what a Neanderthal you are in the morning."

"Yeah well, I didn't really sleep last night, Chris." She quickly diverted her eyes from his and shifted nervously in her seat.

Danny buttered a piece of toast before commenting, "It's interesting that you call her Chris when everyone else calls her Tina."

"Kwistina!" Bella offered from her high chair. Christina leaned over and gave her a kiss. "No, I'm Mommy!" she retorted. "MOMMY!" Bella repeated at the top of her lungs.

Speed glared at Danny. "I don't want to call her what everyone _else_ calls her. Everyone calls me Speed. She calls me Tim. That's just the way it is."

"Tim!" Bella said brightly. Christina was filling Bella's empty tray with torn pancakes when she corrected her daughter again. "No, he's Daddy," she said unconsciously.

Tim choked on his coffee, Horatio's fork stopped halfway to his mouth and Danny glowered in anger. "Oh my God," Christina said under her breath.

"DAD-DY!" Bella declared dramatically, dragging the last syllable out.

"Danny," Christina said slowly.

He shook his head and pushed his plate away. "I just lost my appetite." He rose from the table and stomped down the hall.

"Danny!" Christina called again, this time trailing after him.

The screaming began the instant their bedroom door shut. The words were muffled by the heavy oak of the door and the distance from the hallway to the kitchen, but Speed and Horatio were able to follow the fight.

"He's not her father!"

"I'm sorry! It just slipped out. Bella was doing that Dada and Dada thing last night…"

"That doesn't just slip out, Tina!"

"I said I'm SORRY!"

"Did something happen last night when you got up to check on him?"

"NO! Why would you even ask that?"

"He must have heard us or he wouldn't have thrown the bottle in the first place…"

"_Nothing_ happened." Her tone was far from convincing. Christina was a terrible liar – the tiny squeak in her voice always gave her away.

There was more arguing the men couldn't really make out and finally, the door opened. Danny laughed bitterly, "You're still in love with him."

Tim's attention was instantly peaked – he felt his future hinging on Christina's reply. Four beats of silence followed Danny's question before Christina answered indignantly, "I am not."

He smiled. She'd waited too long to answer.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story, especially Beaglicious and Speedfanatic! I truly appreciate your comments and your enthusiasm. As crazy as my life is at the moment, I'm continuing for you!

* * *

**_Clash_**

Bella was wailing by the time Danny tore down the hallway. He yanked Speed out of his chair and flung him up against the wall of the dining room. Christina gasped in horror. His fist was clenched purposefully in Tim's t-shirt. "I'm tired of waiting for Christina to throw you off the roof," he sneered, "Guess I'm gonna have to do it myself."

Horatio stood behind Danny, ready to intervene if necessary. "Danny, please," Christina begged, clutching desperately at his shirt. "Don't do this!" He shrugged her hand away.

"I will not lose my family because of you," Danny said defiantly, tears forming in his eyes. Tim's heart raced in anticipation of the punch that never came.

Danny released his hold on Tim and backed away. He crossed over to Isabella and placed a kiss on her ebony curls while the child howled and reached her arms out for him. "Daddy's sorry, Baby," he said, his voice breaking with emotion, "Daddy's sorry."

Bella's howling grew louder as Danny made his way to the front door, Christina right on his heels. "Where are you going?" she demanded as he opened the door.

"I'm leaving, Tina," he answered bitterly, throwing his arms open in defeat. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

He slammed the door before she could answer. Christina collapsed against the heavy oak. Tim slid the tray on Bella's high chair away and gathered the sobbing toddler in his arms. He bounced her softly and whispered, "It's okay, Bella, it's okay" over and over.

Christina spun to face them – her face flushed with fury. She ripped Bella out of Tim's arms. She began wailing again as Christina shoved Tim.

"You're ruining ours lives!" she screamed. "Is this what you want? Is this fun for you?"

"Christina," he began slowly.

"No!" she shouted with a finger in his face. "It's my rules from here on out, got it?"

He knew better than to argue. "Got it."

"And Rule 1," she said as tears began streaming down her face, "you leave Bella alone. I will not have her getting attached to you when you're just going to up and leave again."

Tim reached out to touch her, but she slapped his hand away. "Rule 2 – don't touch me again. Don't talk to me or look at me…"

Speed sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Christina."

"NO!" she replied. "You have no right to come back and wreck our lives. You don't get to do this to us!"

Bella's sobs echoed through the dining room. Christina pressed a hand gently to her daughter's head and cradled her. She carried Bella into the living room and sunk into a deep leather chair.

Speed's heart broke as he watched his two girls cry together – Christina's shoulders sagging with the weight she felt on her shoulders. Bella's head rested on her mother's chest and Christina caressed the baby's ringlets her own tears had dampened.

He straddled a dining room chair and simply watched them for a while – almost an hour according to the clock above the marble fireplace. Bella had fallen asleep and Speed wasn't sure if Christina had succumbed to the emotional exhaustion.

Horatio pulled a chair up beside him and slid into it. "I talked to Agent Malone," he said quietly, so as not to disturb Christina and Bella. "He's willing to move Christina and the baby to another safe house."

"If he'd just move Taylor, everything else would work itself out," Tim countered angrily.

Horatio snickered. "I think Jack is probably on Danny's side, don't you agree?"

Speed rested his chin on the high back of the chair and sighed. "I can't let them go, H. Christina and Bella are my life. I've been with them almost every single day – even if they didn't know it."

"Do you have a plan?" Horatio asked curiously.

Tim laughed. "Yeah, not to get killed."

_**Horror**_

Three agonizing hours later, Jack Malone stormed into the apartment without a word to anyone.

Christina attacked him immediately. "Where is Danny? He's not answering his cell phone. Where is he, Jack?"

Jack glared at her and shoved a tape into the VCR in the television. Seconds later, a familiar, but broken face appeared on the screen. The room was dark and the sound of dripping water could be heard above the moans of the beaten man strapped to a chair.

The Morenos had Danny.

TBC….


	13. Chapter 13

**_Bait _**

"Shaun, you dumb fuck!" Miguel Moreno laughed from the speaker phone. "Look at the mess you've made now."

Tim shook his head angrily and paced the floor, chewing on this thumbnail. Christina had been inconsolable since seeing Danny's beaten and broken form on the tape. A doctor had been brought in to medicate her, and she was resting. Samantha had taken over Bella's care for the time being.

"If you'll just give yourself up, I'll let Taylor go. I've said all along my beef's not with him."

"Miguel," Jack said carefully, "it's Jack Malone. I want to talk to Danny."

Miguel snickered. "That's always a Fed's first line, isn't it? Lemme talk to the _victim_," he sneered in a sing-song voice. "I'm done talking. I want McGarrity."

"I can't give you a federally protected witness," Jack answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Agent Malone. I hope Taylor won't be too hard to replace, then."

Danny's anguished moans as he endured another round of beating could be heard echoing through the line. "Is Christina listening to this?" Miguel asked with a sinister sneer, "Hearing her precious Danny being tortured will probably be enough."

"Enough what?" Jack asked testily.

Miguel laughed again. "To get her to kill McGarrity for me."

With that, Moreno disconnected the call.

Jack shook his head angrily. "I need Christina. I need to know everything she saw and heard while the Morenos had her. I've got to know if Danny's in the same building."

"She said she wasn't sure," Tim interjected. "She needs to rest."

Jack took a step toward Speed. Horatio stood at attention, guarding his protégé. "I need Danny safe," Jack countered before adding sarcastically, "And my 'federally protected witness' to stay out of it before I 'unprotect' him!"

"Yeah, you're doing a first-class job of keeping us all safe so far!" Tim yelled back.

"Fuck off!" the agent replied.

"That's enough!" Horatio interrupted. "Jack, were you able to trace the call?"

Jack continued glaring at Speed, refusing to relinquish control. "The line was bouncing – same as it did with Christina. We have no idea where they are."

"That's not true," Christina said from the edge of the living room. The men spun around to face her. "I think Danny's in the same building."

She was still heavily medicated and struggled to make it to the couch. Tim reached out to assist her, but she pushed his hand away. She fell hard onto the couch and kicked the coffee table away with her foot. "Stupid table," she muttered.

"What makes you think that?" Jack asked.

"The water dripping," Christina answered; her voice distant and disconnected. "And the concrete blocks are the same."

"That's good, Tina," Jack replied with a nod of his head. "That's really good. Anything else?"

"I need some water," Christina said with a frown. Tim launched into action and headed for the kitchen.

"What else, Tina?" Jack asked again softly.

Speed tried to hand Christina a glass of water, but she didn't take it. "Not from you," she said quietly.

"What?" he asked, not fully understanding.

"Not…from…you…" she repeated slowly, her eyes never meeting his.

Tim shook his head. "It's a glass of _water_, Chris."

She ignored him. "Fine," he said, slamming the glass onto the coffee table. "Be thirsty."

The subsequent roll of her eyes wasn't lost on him – or anyone else in the room. Danny's best friend, Martin, quiet up to this point, handed Christina another glass of water. "Here, Tina," he said quietly.

"Thanks," she said gratefully before downing the glass and handing it back to Martin. He disposed of it on a side table and sat down beside her on the couch.

"Christina?" Jack said again, regaining her attention.

"There's a door in the back – the door I escaped from – opens to a fenced area – barbed wire along the top. I had to scale that. When I glanced back at the building – the exterior was painted dark red and the windows had been blacked out with paint. That's why it's so dark. The water leak sounded like it was above me – the building was four stories."

"And you ran to Diego's Restaurant?" Jack continued.

Christina shook her head, trying to rid her brain of the fogginess from her medication. "I ran maybe…three blocks…before I realized where I was. Diego's was the closest thing I knew."

"Mr. Sanchez is the owner and his son carries a shield too," Jack added for Horatio's benefit. He nodded in understanding. "Did you turn left or right onto the street?"

Christina pinched the bridge of her nose before answering. "Left."

"And how many more blocks to Diego's?" Martin asked.

"I don't know," Christina sighed. "Two or three?"

"It's okay, Tina, you've given us a lot," Martin added enthusiastically.

"Please get Danny out of there," she said, grasping Martin's hand in desperation.

"I won't let you down," he answered honestly.

"_Neither will I_," Speed thought to himself.

****

**_Dark _**

It was near midnight when Tim snuck out of the safe house. He took the emergency stairs to avoid being caught by the FBI agents stationed around the building. He opened the street level door and took a deep breath of the outside air – the night smelled as sweet as Christina's perfume. He took a step onto the pavement outside, heard an unmistakable click and felt the cold steel of a barrel against his temple.

TBC…


	14. Chapter 14

A/N – thank you so much to speedfanatic05, Beaglicious, and randomwriting for sticking with me through this long process and continuing to read and review. And thanks to everyone who has read this story – I greatly appreciate it.

_**

* * *

**__**Betrayal**_

"Chris," Speed said cautiously, desperately hoping his fiancée wouldn't pull the trigger. "You don't want to do this." His heart was pounding and he was suddenly light-headed. Surely, the woman he loved, the woman who had borne his child, wouldn't kill him.

"I don't?" she laughed bitterly. "And why is that?"

"Think about Bella," he answered gently.

He turned his head slightly to face her. Christina's eyes were maniacal with rage. "That's _all_ I've thought about. What _you _have done to _my_ baby."

It hurt his heart to see the pain and suffering he'd caused, displayed so prominently in Christina's beautiful, dark eyes. He wanted desperately to believe that she wouldn't hurt him, but he knew he couldn't really blame her if she did.

Where the revolver had come from, Tim couldn't imagine. "Start walking," Christina commanded, grabbing his elbow and steering him down the block.

A car sped down the road and jolted to a stop in front of them. She kept the gun firmly against Speed's temple as she opened the back door and shoved him inside. Tim glanced at the driver as Christina piled in beside him and slammed the door. "Fitzgerald," he said under his breath.

Martin shrugged and glared at Tim in the rear-view mirror. "He's my best friend," he said by way of explanation.

"You're an FBI agent," Speed countered.

"Not tonight, man," Martin answered sadly as he pulled away from the curb.

Tim settled in for what he knew would be a long ride. After several blocks, he turned to Christina. "I can't believe you'd betray me like this," he said with a dismayed shake of his head.

Christina snickered. "Yeah, well, I didn't believe you'd betray me either, but you did. You betrayed me the minute you didn't tell me about being in Witness Protection and then again when you 'died'. A heads-up would have been the polite thing to do."

"I wanted you to come with me," he offered.

"We weren't married, Tim. They wouldn't have _let_ you bring me. Perhaps you should have read the Witness Protection Manual _before_ asking me to marry you and getting me pregnant. I hear it's engrossing."

They rode in torturous silence for another half hour before Christina instructed Martin, "Take a left here."

Martin drove another five blocks before he cut the engine and coasted to a stop. About 300 yards ahead was a building completely unlike the one Christina had described to Jack.

"No comments about me lying to the FBI?" Christina asked sarcastically.

Tim rolled his eyes in disgust. "That's the least of your worries at the moment."

"How so?" she asked with a frown.

Speed turned to her. "You're about to kill the father of your child, your fiancé. I'm pretty sure the murder charge will trump perjury."

Christina shook her head and wrenched Tim's arms behind his back. He grunted in pain as she secured a pair of handcuffs to his wrists. "Kind of hard to kill a dead man," she said angrily as she opened the door.

Martin took hold of Speed's other arm as he and Christina lifted their hostage from the car. They led him in the direction of the small, two story, gray brick building. The only truths in Christina's story to the FBI were the blacked-out windows and barbed wire – just one of hundreds of buildings in New York City with blacked-out windows and barbed wire enclosures.

She banged on the door with her fist. "Miguel," she shouted into the night, "It's Christina."

A hail of gunfire answered her. "Back away from McGarrity," Miguel instructed from his perch in an open second story window.

Martin immediately trained his gun on the mob boss. "Where's Danny?"

"Where's Danny? Where's Danny?" Moreno taunted in a sing-song voice. "Hey, Miguel, how are you on this beautiful night?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hey, you sadistic son of a bitch, how are you on this beautiful night?" Martin spat out. "Where's Danny?"

"I don't know," Moreno answered with a shrug, "I may have killed him already."

Martin fired his weapon – the bullet whizzed past Miguel's left ear.

"I wouldn't try that again, Agent Fitzgerald," Moreno threatened. "You might not like the results."

"I want to see Danny now," Martin said slowly.

Miguel muttered something under his breath and the heavy door creaked open with a moan. "Shove McGarrity inside and I'll throw Danny out the window," he jeered.

"Oh sure," Christina answered with a cynical laugh. "Get your ass out here and bring Danny with you. This goes down as we agreed or I take Shaun back and you never see him again."

Moreno cackled. "You wouldn't make it out of the parking lot, bitch."

Martin fired his weapon again – this time the bullet whizzed past Miguel's right ear. "I'm getting tired of missing, Moreno," Martin said.

Speed caught a fleeting glimpse of red out of the corner of his eye as Miguel disappeared from the window. He could sense movement behind him, but he was unsure if it was a rescue or an ambush.

"Christina," he whispered, "whatever happens, I still love you."

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard before answering, "Don't fuck this up and try to be a hero."

She took Speed's elbow again and began leading him into the dark warehouse. A single bulb lit their path. Speed heard what sounded like silenced bullets behind him, but didn't turn to look.

TBC………..


	15. Chapter 15

**_Completion_**

They entered the warehouse slowly, guns drawn, eyes sweeping each shadowy corner of the dilapidated building. "Clear!" Christina shouted to Martin, who instantly returned the signal.

"Clear!" Moreno mocked from his position at the back of the warehouse. "If I wanted you dead – your liver temps would already be dropping." Danny stood beside Miguel, his wrists bound in front of him with rope, his body racked with coughs from the beatings he'd endured.

Moreno had made a mistake by not properly guarding Christina. He wouldn't make the same mistake with Danny. As he surveyed Danny's broken form, Tim realized he'd underestimated the agent. Based on the severity of Danny's wounds - he hadn't given Tim up.

Christina trained her gun on Miguel while Martin continued to scan the room. "Danny?" she asked softly.

Danny bent over and began coughing again. He managed to choke out "I'm fine," between spits of blood.

"Let him go," Christina commanded. Moreno laughed his reply. "I've been contemplating our deal, Detective Diaz," he said haughtily. "I'll let Taylor go, but first, I want you to put a bullet in your boyfriend."

"What?" Christina asked incredulously.

Miguel rolled his eyes. "You heard me, bitch. Kill McGarrity and I'll let Taylor go."

"That wasn't our deal," Christina answered, completely flustered.

Moreno dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Our _deal_…just wasn't working for me. This will be much more fun," he said with a sadistic grin.

"No," Christina answered with a shake of her head, "I won't do it."

Moreno shrugged. "Oh well, it was worth a shot." He launched at Danny and pulled the agent tight against his chest. Christina gasped in surprise as Miguel shoved the barrel of his gun into the soft flesh under Danny's chin.

"You and I both know he won't survive if I pull the trigger," Moreno warned.

"Don't do it, Christina," Martin warned – his gun still pointed at Moreno. "He'll kill them both and us too."

Speed glanced at Christina who was shaking almost uncontrollably. "Come here," he whispered.

She turned to face him, and Tim's heart broke yet again. The desperation and fear in her eyes were palatable. He leaned down and kissed her softly; then whispered, "It's okay."

"Ooh, let's open the phone lines, let America vote – 'Which one of Christina's lovers dies tonight?'," Miguel taunted.

"No," Christina said as she pulled away, her eyes wet with tears. Suddenly, Tim understood. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. "I can't," she pleaded.

"Christina!" Martin shouted again.

"DO IT!" Moreno shouted. "Do it and Taylor lives." He shoved the gun deeper into Danny's flesh. The agent shook with fear and anger.

Speed nod his head as salty tears slid down his cheeks. "It's okay, baby," he repeated over and over. He smiled at her as reassurance.

Christina nearly doubled over in sobs as she leveled her gun as his chest. "I'm sorry," she said quietly as her finger began to squeeze the trigger.

Almost magically, a bullet whizzed past them and before Miguel could say "What the…" Danny head butted him and Miguel's gun clattered onto the floor. The room was filled with gunfire – agent swathed in black Kevlar exchanging gunfire with Moreno's men who had appeared out of nowhere.

Christina and Speed were in the crossfire. "Uncuff me," Tim ordered. Christina stuffed her gun into the back of her jeans and began fumbling in her pocket for the key.

Danny was struggling with the rope binding his wrists while wrestling with Moreno on the ground. Tim could make out the voices of Jack, Horatio, Vivian and Samantha as they shouted locations and directions back and forth.

"Hurry!" Speed directed, startling Christina and causing the key to fall to the ground. She bent down to get it and Moreno managed to kick her feet out from under her. Danny shouted her name, but it was too late. The gun so hastily shoved into the back of her jeans slid across the concrete floor as she landed, head first, with a heavy thud.

Moreno stood, smiled at Speed…and fired.

TBC….


	16. Chapter 16

_**Rain**_

They buried him on a Tuesday in a black suit Christina had found hanging in his makeshift closet, in his makeshift home in the warehouse across the street from her apartment. She'd tenderly boxed up his photos, telling Danny she wished to give them to Bella when she got older. She'd asked the funeral director to place one of the photos in his coffin.

A large tarp covered the chairs set aside for the family and fat raindrops fell on his parents' headstone. Their names, Keiran and Amelia, were carved into the granite, along with their dates of birth, marriage and death. Shaun's headstone would soon join theirs.

Everyone came, despite the cold, damp dreariness of the day. Calleigh's eyes were lined in red and she was badly congested following hours of crying. Eric stood stoically beside Christina, holding Bella and watching Alexx as the older woman's eyes stared straight ahead in a detached haze. She'd been unable to cope with burying her precious "Timmy" a second time, so Horatio had slipped a sedative into her morning coffee. She now grasped Eric's hand as if she were holding on to her only lifeline.

The entire FBI team who had worked on his case was present as well. Dennis Sackheim had flown in from Miami while Jack, Vivian, Martin and Samantha were there to support Danny and Christina.

Christina had chosen the music for the Mass and the burial – traditional church hymns she knew Tim would have hated but which comforted those mourning his loss. As the last verse of "Amazing Grace" began, Christina took Bella from Eric and walked the toddler over to her father's coffin. She lifted Bella, who placed a kiss on the dark mahogany and laid a rose at his head. Christina heard the wails and anguished cries of the mourners, but found she couldn't muster her own tears. She set Bella on the ground and placed another rose on the coffin before returning to her seat.

Her heart broke to see Tim's friends so hurt and stricken with grief, so distraught at losing this man they'd all loved a second time. She watched as they each placed a rose on his coffin; then held and comforted one another, wishing she could still be a part of it, but knowing that part of her life was over. She finally cried when Alexx collasped against his coffin and wailed in agony.

"How are you doing?" Horatio asked softly after the service was over, gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm okay, I guess," she answered with a shrug. "You?"

"I'm, uh, coping," the lieutenant answered with a sigh. "I keep hoping he's still alive."

"Don't ever lose that hope," Christina said quietly before drifting away from Tim's mentor.

She stepped over to Danny and slipped her hand into his, relishing the feel of his gold wedding ring as her fingers brushed up against it. They'd married just days after the gunfight – while Danny was still recovering in the hospital. He looked down at her and smiled softly before placing a gentle kiss on her hair. Tim's friends couldn't forgive her for marrying so quickly after his death, but none of them understood her reasons.

Danny was still haunted by the memories of being held captive, of almost losing Christina and of Tim's ghost. He only vaguely remembered a man dressed in all black leaning over him in the hospital as he woke from a heavily sedated sleep. A single whispered promise, "I'll always take care of her," had terrorized the young agent ever since. He'd confessed his visitor to Christina after waking from a frightful dream. She'd married Danny, not only because she loved him, but to protect him for as long as she could.

****

**_Watch_**

He watched them from the grassy knoll across the street from the cemetery. He was alternately flattered that so many people had shown up and humiliated that he had to put his friends through this…again.

"You think they'll be okay?" he asked quietly.

His old friend and former boss, Megan Donner, placed a hand on his shoulder. She'd joined the FBI shortly after leaving the Miami-Dade Police Department and had recently been assigned to his case. "They'll be fine," she said assuredly. "We _have_ to go now before someone sees you."

"Don't people usually see ghosts in a cemetery?" he shot back sarcastically.

Megan rolled her eyes and pointed. "Get in the car."

TBC….


	17. Chapter 17

_**Fight**_

"I can't deal with this anymore!" Christina screamed at Danny before pushing his arm away. "You can't keep us locked up in this house forever!"

"I don't want you going anywhere without protection, Tina. We're right in the middle of Miguel's trial!" Danny countered. "Has it not occurred to you that they might try something?"

"You've got as much on them as I do! Nobody's trying to kill you!"

"You and Bella are more vulnerable…"

"VULNERABLE?" Christina shrieked. "You don't think I can take care of my child?"

"No, God no, I never said that." Danny shook his head in dismay. "I just worry."

"You are so paranoid, Danny! We can't live like this!"

"What are you saying?" Danny asked; his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I saying…" Christina sighed heavily and sank onto the couch. "I don't know what I'm saying; I just need to breathe fresh air, go to the park…"

Danny sat down on the couch and grasped his wife's hand. "So, let's take Bella and go to the park."

Christina closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "Alone, Danny. I want to take Bella to the park…alone."

Danny shrugged. "Okay, just let me call a couple of agents to watch you."

She groaned and launched herself from the couch. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! If the Morenos wanted me dead, they would have done it already! Nobody is after us – you have to believe that. Carlos is going to be in prison for the rest of his life thanks to Tim's taped deposition and Miguel is just days away from the death penalty."

"No, you cut off one head in that family, another grows back to replace it…"

"ENOUGH!" Christina shouted. "I'm done. I am taking Bella to the park and God help you if you send agents after us."

She stalked down the hall to Isabella's room and led the toddler into the living room. Danny was already on the phone, attempting to arrange for someone to follow them. She yanked the phone out of his hand and disconnected the call.

Christina grasped the sides of her husband's face affectionately. "I love you, Danny Taylor, but if I don't get out of this house, I...am...going...to...kill...you. Do you understand?"

Danny grinned the goofy, lopsided grin Christina loved so much and she couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I understand."

"Good," Christina answered. She picked up her purse and Bella's diaper bag from the hall table and slung them over her shoulder. Danny held the door for them and punched the button on the elevator. "Where are you going?" she asked curiously with one eyebrow cocked in defiance.

"I'm at least going to put you in the cab," he explained, his tone defying argument. "Is that too much to ask?"

"I guess not," Christina sighed with a grin. The elevator door opened and Danny followed his girls inside, snuggling with them as the elevator descended to the lobby. He took Christina's hand led her and Bella to the curb. He hailed them a taxi and opened the door. "Your chariot awaits, my princesses," he said dramatically, eliciting a soft laugh from his wife.

"I love you," she said and kissed him softly.

"I love you too," he whispered as they slid into the taxi and he closed the door. He tapped the roof of the taxi and watched it pull away. Bella was at the window, blowing him kisses. He watched listlessly as the taxi made its way down Benson. He lost sight of it momentarily in the sudden sea of yellow cabs, but found it again….right before it exploded.

The blast knocked Danny and every other pedestrian on the street to the ground and set car alarms off for blocks. Danny screamed and ran toward the engulfed taxi. The fire was burning much too hot for Danny to even get close. He stole a jacket from an onlooker and draped it over himself as a useless barrier against the flames. He tried to wrench open the cab's back door, but the metal had already fused together and the searing pain of his burned flesh was more than he could bear.

He pulled away – helpless, knowing his wife and baby girl were gone.

TBC...


	18. Epilogue

**_Epilogue_**

Danny tried for years to erase the painful memory of losing Christina and Bella in that fiery explosion from his mind. He simply couldn't forgive himself for letting them out of his sight - for not protecting them in that one critical moment.

He began dating again, albeit half-heartedly, a year and a half after their deaths and only after being threatened by Samantha. It wasn't until Danny literally ran into a young woman in the supermarket that he felt alive again. Kaitlyn Daniels was a dancer on Broadway, and Danny was instantly smitten.

A year later, he got down on one knee in the middle of Central Park and asked Kaitlyn to become his bride. She happily accepted, and they married four months later, on a bright, sunny day in April. Her wedding present to Danny…a positive pregnancy test.

He was over the moon as they began their honeymoon in Spain. He chuckled to himself and said a silent prayer to his late wife as they entered Seville's Jardines de Cristina. It was there amongst the statues and fountains, he felt an uneasy presence. He scanned the park, completely unsure of what he was _supposed_ to be looking for. He noticed a small child, no more than five, accepting a popsicle from a street vendor. He smiled because the girl looked like an older version of Isabella – the same dark bouncy curls, the same sparkling brown eyes.

He watched as she skipped away from the vendor, calling "Mama, Mama, mire lo que tengo!" _(Mama, look what I have)_

He gasped as the child's mother answered, "Veo, no caerlo!" _(I see, don't drop it)_

The mother was Christina; the daughter his precious Isabella. Christina's hair was longer and wavier than he remembered, but she was just as beautiful – and visibly pregnant. She tipped her head back to the let the sun wash over her while Bella sucked on her popsicle and beat her feet against the concrete of the fountain. Danny couldn't deny how happy and content Christina looked.

"What is it, Danny?" Kaitlyn asked curiously.

"It can't be," he muttered. "There's no way…"

His thought trailed off as a man joined Christina and Bella. "Hola, mis amors!" he said brightly before kissing Christina. _(Hello, my loves)_

"Papa!!" Bella squealed and jumped into his waiting arms. The man was undoubtedly Tim Speedle. His dark, graying hair was cropped short; he wore glasses and had gained the slightest bit of weight, no doubt thanks to the rich Spanish cuisine.

"¿Cómo era la escuela?" he asked. _(How was school?)_

"Estudiamos el alfabeto," Bella answered. Christina smiled in pride and began to gather their belongings while Isabella rattled off the alphabet.

"Danny!" Kaitlyn said again, more forcefully.

Danny stared down at his wife, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "It's Christina and Bella, but it can't be…"

"_Your_ Christina and Isabella?" she asked incredulously. "Danny, they're dead."

"No, they're not," he said angrily, "they're right over there."

Kaitlyn peered into the distance and shaded her eyes with her hand. "I don't see anyone."

Danny cut his eyes back to where Christina had been sitting by the fountain. He scanned every corner of the park, but couldn't see them anywhere. They were gone.

The End.

A/N – Well folks, that's the end. It's been a long road, and I never intended for it to take almost a year to finish this story. But, it's complete now. I hope you have all enjoyed it and I want to take a moment to say thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Maybe when my daughter's a little older and work is not so unbelievably insane, I'll try this fanfiction thing again.


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